Nostalgia
by Shattered Mirror01
Summary: Walking around in a seedy weapon shop, Cloud never expected to be hit with a wave of nostalgia for his old days as a Shinra cadet. Drabble. Advanced critique appreciated!


**Konnichiwa, all, I'm BA-ACK! This little drabble thingamajig was inspired by the picture of Cloud in the Crisis Core guide book. I don't know why, but I was really, really happy that they gave Chocobo-head a gun. I freaked out in the middle of Wal-Mart, but fortunately it was kinda late and nobody was in the electronic section. I got to look at it the exact day it came out- they didn't have it in the case yet but they head the book and I was having this total fangirl geek-out moment. It was awesome!**

**Um, okay, where was I…?**

**Now, I will fully admit: I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT GUNS. Nothing at all. So if I'm wrong about something… well, I'm sorry, but I'm not all knowing. And I'm rather proud; this is one of the few non-yaoi fanfictions I've written. Go me! Oh, and I know that Cloud's explanation to Tifa isn't really all that great, but I think he felt it was too long an explanation to give. He'd already used up his word quota for the day. .**

**Dedicated to: Snickey, Jumesyn, Zexion, Roxas, and Misa-Misa. Thanks for putting up with me, especially through my writer's block and my annoying, emo/bitchy weeks. It means a lot to me. I love you guys!!**

**Oh, and I would really appreciate a lot of advanced (but, you know, POLITE) criticism on this. I'm trying to get out of my writer's block here, and I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks! Enjoy!**

The rifle sat there on the rickety table, looking as innocent and unassuming as a rifle can look. Cloud almost passed it by on his way out the front door of the seedy weapon shop, but the fairly inconspicuous item had somehow drawn his attention. Pausing halfway out the door, he contemplated the weapon for a long moment before stepping over to it. The table was half hidden in shadows and the gun lay next to many others of different models and calibers, but he was only interested in that specific one. He ran a gloved finger over the barrel, wiping away the layers of dust to reveal gleaming metal.

He recognized it as an older model, the standard rifle issued to Shinra cadets. They'd been state-of-the-art back then, but the guns were outdated now. Cloud hadn't seen one in years, and wondered how the shopkeeper had managed to procure one.

The buster sword on his back seemed to grow heavier for every second he spent examining the gun. It was trying to remind him that _it _was his primary weapon now, not some dust-covered relic in a shop that couldn't be trusted to sell kitchen knives. He rolled his shoulders back to banish the newly-forming knot.

A gun is a weapon, no different from a sword. And this particular gun was as unremarkable as it got. But the more Cloud stared at it, the more he was reminded of his days as a lowly Shinra cadet; no hefty rank, no special skills, no buster sword, no mako injections. Being a cadet was nowhere near easy, but Cloud had enjoyed himself.

With a start, he realized how much he _missed_ carrying a rifle. He missed the weight of it in his hands, the smell of gunpowder in the air. Cloud was never very fond of the gun when he'd first been given it, but now, years later, it seemed like a very special thing to him.

"Hey, blondie. Are you gonna buy it or make love to it?"

Cloud twisted around sharply, a blush creeping along the sides of his face. He sent a swift, livid glare at the smirking shopkeeper behind the counter. The old man shrugged.

"Well, son, you were just standing there staring at it, running your fingers up and down the barrel, with this awful dreamy look on your face. Do you want me to perform a marriage ceremony? I'm licensed to do that, y'know. "

Something akin to a wolf's growl escaped Cloud's throat. He picked up the rifle by the strap and said tersely, "Can I test this out?"

The shopkeeper nodded, still grinning toothily. "Of course, boy. Just follow me."

The old man shuffled around behind the counter and opened a side door, beckoning Cloud to come along. Cloud followed quietly, unconsciously cradling the rifle in his arms. He prayed for his blush to go away.

The room he was now in had been converted to a firing range. Shopkeep tossed the blonde a clip of ammunition and a pair of earmuffs. Cloud loaded the gun slowly and methodically, taking his time. It had been so many years since he'd even _touched _a gun. He was surprised that he remembered it so well. He slid on the earmuffs, crushing several spikes of hair, and positioned himself on the firing range.

After wielding a buster sword for so long, the rifle felt strangely light. Almost unreal.

Cloud squeezed the trigger and fired off the first shot. The recoil bit into his shoulder, nowhere near as fierce as he remembered it to be when he was sixteen. The bullet didn't make the bulls-eye he'd intended to make. After all, he'd been out of practice for quite awhile. It had pierced the upper right side of the target, but granted his condition, it wasn't a bad shot at all. Cloud fired off five more rounds before he felt satisfied. The scent of gunpowder in the air made him feel light headed, just like it used to. Transported into the past for a moment (and still wearing the earmuffs), it took a moment or two for Shopkeep to get his attention.

"I'll take it," Cloud finally answered, taking off the earmuffs. "Ammunition too."

The old man nodded, grabbing a box of ammo and taking it back into the main room of the shop to ring up Cloud's purchase.

When Cloud came home that night with the rifle slung over his shoulder, Denzel was immediately impressed with it. Marlene was a bit wary of the weapon, and Tifa looked worried. When the bar maid asked him why he'd bought it, he struggled to come up with an answer.

"It's… part of my past. And I just… wanted it."

Tifa sighed, then smiled at him, her eyes teasing. "Just promise me you won't use your 'past' to shoot yourself in the foot."


End file.
